Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

FREDERICK NISHWITZ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

To all lwhom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK NisHWTTz,

' of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description:

The invention herein claimed relates to a novel method, hereinafter set forth, of constructing the frame and gearing of a harvester.

In the accompanying drawings all my iinprovements are represented as embodied in a single machine.

It is obvious, however, thatsome of the improvements may be used without the others, andmay also be adapted to machines differing in construction from that herein shown.

Figure l represents a plan or top view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section throughk the same at the line :c a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a view in elevation of the same as seen from the rea-r, with the cutting-apparatus folded up vertically; Fig. 4, a plan View of the gearframe; Fig. 5, a front view and Fig. (i, a plan view of a portion of the pitman and cutter detached, showing the details of their construction.

In this instance, two main driving and supporting-wheels, A A', turn loosely7 on a common axle, B, with which they are connected' by backing-ratchets of any usual well-known construction. The axle revolves in pipe-bearings in a frame, U, arranged between the wheels, and projecting mostly in front of the axle B. A spur-wheel, D, keyed fast on the main axle, drives a spur-pinion, d, on a counter-shaft, e, behind and above the main axle. A spur-wheel, E, 011 this shaft, drives a corresponding pinion,f,on ashaft,j"', parallel with and below the counter-shaft. A bevel-wheel, F, on this shaft, drives a corresponding pinion, g, on a crank-shaft, G, driving the cutters by a crank and pit1nan,in the usual Way. The main frame,it will be observed, has the bearings for the main axle and of the shafts cj', as well as the shield T, for protecting the balancewheel and pitman, all cast in one piece. The shafts e and j" are keyed fast in their sockets in the frame, while the gear-wheels d, E, f, and F all-run loosely on their shafts, and can consequently beremoved by driving the shafts endwise out of their sockets in the main frame, whichl mode of construction renders it easy at any time to remove or replace the gear-wheels.

The construction of the main frame is clearly shown in Fig. 4, in which the black lines represent the frame, the blue lines the shafts, and the red lines the gearing. A cover, S, for the gearing, which also serves as a foot-board rfor the driver, is pivoted to play vertically around the shaft c, so as to afford ready access to the gearing. The supports u, of the drivers seat, are likewise pivoted on the shaft e, which mode of construction diminishes the labor ot' putting the parts of the machine together. A

tongue, ll, is secured 'by a bolt, h, to a plate,

H', upon which itinay be adjusted up or down by a bolt, h1, taking intooue of a series of holes in the front of the plate. A socket, h2, ou the rear end of this plate, its on a pivot, I, on the front of the gearframe, so as to allow the tongue to play freely vertically. The tongueextends back of its pivot I, and its rear vend is slotted vertically. A transverse pin in this slot is embraced by a loop,j, attached to van arm, j', on a lifting-lever, J, pivoted to the main axle B. A pawl, K, pivoted to the lifting-lever, takes into ratchets c Qn the gea-rframe, to hold the gear-frame at any desired elevation. This pawl is released by backing the lever slightly, and then shoving n down a rod, k, sliding endwise ina groove in the liftinglever, andvbearing on the rear end of the pawl. The linger-beam L isfastened securely, at its heel end, to a shoe, L', which extends much farther in front of the fingerbeam than usual, and is provided with lugs l, between which down-han gers or coupling-arms l l' are pivoted by a rod, l', which is bent up at its forward end, and bolted to the front end ofthe tongue-plate H', thus serving both as a pivot and a brace. The rear coupling-arm I, it will be observed, in this instance, is inserted in a socket in the front of the gear-frame, and.

is likewise secured to the rear end of the tongue-plate, and forms the pivot on which the tongue vibrates.' The front couplingarm and brace l' are likewise secured to and vibrate with the tongue-plate.

By this mode-of construction, the raising and lowering of the tongue correspondingly vibra-tes the shoe, and thus varies the angle of the grounds relatively to the ground.

' shaft e.

A link, m, is pivoted, at its lower end, to the shoe L', outside of and below its pivot l', while its upperend is attached to a lever, M, vibrating in a vertical plane on the front coupling-arm I. By drawing back this lever, the lilik m swings the shoe around its pivot l', and thus lil'ts the dividerend of the lingerbeam. A friction-roller, ml, on the lever-plate, traverses `on the tongueplate, and prevents the friction of the tilting-lever against the tongue. A cord or chain, m2, is secured at one end to the main frame, and at the other to the lever M. This cord prevents the `forward movement of the lever M, and consequently prevents the divider-end of the Jlinger-beam from falling below a given point, while leaving it free to rise and move the lever backward. When the tinger-beain'is vertical, the lever M tak-es into notches m3 on the side of the lifting-lever, and is firmly held there. A seat, N, for the driver, is mounted on standards n, pivoted to vibrate on the counter- An arm,u, fixed on one ofthe standards, is connected by a link, N', with `the tongue-plate in front of and above the pivot I. The seat is thus moved back and forth, when the gear-frame is raised or lowered by the hand-lever J. The shipping-lever O is operated by a link, O, coiled around the'rod N,so as to be pushed backward or forward by the drivers foot, to throw the mechanism into or out of gear. Aflauged collar, o', on this lever, is provided with internallyproiectin g inclnes, o, which bear against corresponding inclines on the main frame and thus moves the gear-wheel E endwiseon its shalt, to throw the mechanism into or out of gear. The cap x, of the crankshaft bearing, is hinged, and made to t between the nuts which hold the bearings in place, and thus prevents them from working loose.

In Fig. 1, the cover is shown' in red, as thrown back, to permit the bea-rings to be oiled. v

Figs. 5 and 6 show nut-locking'device hinged,m to the pitman, and held over its nuts by pins,

to prevent` the motion of the pitman from jarring the nuts out of place.

The spring-stop l is pivoted, near its forward end, to the shoe, while its rear end is bent down, so as to catch against the flange of the shoe, and p revent the cutter-bar from dropping out of its guides when the finger-4 and removable shafts, of gear-wheels revolv-` ing loosely on the shafts, all constructed as described, to permit the gearing to be removed or replaced without removing any portion of the frame.

2. The combination of the spur-wheel on the main axle, the loose spur-gears on the countershaft, the loose spur-gears on the shaft ff, the bevel-wheel on vthe same, and the crank-shaft crossing the main axle, all constructed and arranged for joint operation, as set forth.

3. The combination ot' the shipping-lever, constructed as described, and operated by a foot-lever sliding on the rod which connects the tongue and drivers seat, snbstantially'as set forth. i

4. The arrangement on the counter-shaft, as described, of the gear-wheels, the shippinglever, and the platform-cover. i

5. The combination with the shoe, of the pivoted spring-stop, operating as described, to prevent the cutter from dropping out when the divider-end of the finger-beam is elevated.

6. The combined foot board and gear-cover, arranged to vibrate about the countershaft, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- F. NISHWITZ.

scribed my name.

Witnesses W. GRANDY, HENRY GEGKLER. 

